1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to metal railings. More particularly, it relates to pedestrian and bicycle path guardrails having vertical pickets that interconnect horizontal top and bottom rails.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Pedestrian guardrails with vertical pickets are well-known. They are used in private and public works projects. Prior art railings are cut and welded in shop, then sent out to be hot dipped galvanized. The galvanized railings are and then shipped back to the manufacturer who ships them to the customer to be installed. The preassembled product sometimes has a length of ten linear feet but more typically is twenty linear feet. At twenty two pounds per linear foot, the product is very heavy and hard to handle.
Thus there is a need for a pedestrian guardrail structure that is not delivered to a job site in preassembled condition and which is instead made up of unassembled individual parts that are light in weight, easy to handle, and easy to assemble.
However, in view of the art at the time the invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill how a structure could be made that did not require such cutting and welding.